Why I'm launching Athena Notes

It's about money. And a whole lot more.

Hi, Friends —

I’m embarking on a new passion project and inviting you to join me as I explore the world of women, money, and influence.

For years I’ve witnessed women that I’ve coached, supervised, and mentored struggle with the role of money in their lives. I’ve seen younger women, as well as peers, make the same mistakes I’ve made — leading to frustration, dead ends, and bad outcomes. Most of all, I’ve seen the negative results of limited choices, and decisions made because of money.

Athena Notes is my contribution to tackle this challenge.

Why women and money? The reasons are many, including these five:

1) Pay parity.
Women still make 80% of what men make in the global workforce. The World Economic Forum estimates that at the current rate, it will take 99 years (!) to erase the gender gap.

2) Women live longer.
The life span of women has increased considerably over the last few decades, which means women must make their money last longer, and will likely be faced with important money decisions throughout their lives.

3) Women often don’t negotiate well.
Blame it on culture or self-doubt, but women frequently end up on the losing side of negotiations. This is particularly true in divorce settlements, which can result in lifelong financial challenges.

4) Women hold 2/3 of student debt in the USA.
Student debt can be a major financial burden, and women hold about 2/3 of the US student loan debt, adding up to $929 billion that must be paid back — again, at a lower wage rate.

5) COVID-19 has pushed millions of women out of the job market.
Last, but certainly not least, the coronavirus pandemic has upended the lives of millions of women as they’ve taken on additional roles — juggling work, child and parental care, teaching, expanded household duties, and more. COVID-19 has wiped out more than 30 years of progress as millions of women have left the workforce.

Please join me each week as I share stories, interview experts, and dig into the role of money in womens’ lives. I’ll be keeping each issue to about a 2-minute read, so you can get smarter about money in record time.

Most of all, I welcome your questions. What should I tackle in these weekly issues? Send me an email or share your thoughts via this form.

Thanks,

Terri

PS: If you haven’t signed up yet, you can do so here.